Aerial tramway.



C. H.' VOGEL L eva'. TAITT. AERIAL TBAWAY. PPLIOTO? PILSD AUG. 0| 1911. 1,0%L91, Patenmd Oct. 22, MM2.

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WITNESBBS INVENTORS `o. H. VOGEL@ @a R. MHT. AERIAL TBAPI'WAY. ANLIQATXO! FILED AUG. 1911.

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WITN BSSBS INV'BNTGR 'oneness H. voces-Annemarie sfcrerrnor VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA,

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AERIAL TRAMWAY.

Specification ot Letters Patent.. I

Batenteeoee. essere.

Application tiled August 1911. Serial No'. 642,581."

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that we," CHARLES H. VOGEL,

a. British subject, and Geenen -R. TAI'I'r, a

citizen of the United States,'both residing in the city of Vancouver, inthe county' of Vancouver and Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented a new and useful Aerial Tramway, of. which thefollowing is -a specification.

`Our tramway, which is a modification ot the Bleichert system, may be used for conveying any kind of material but the prime object in .our invention is to use the' tramway for the transportation of logs.

This tramwayr consists principally of a stationary trac r cable with intermediate supports, a 'continuous traction cable, a secondary track4 cable with intermediate sup-l ports,-an engine with several drums and other appliances" in connection therewith; also a series of carriagesto run on the main track cable and to carry the logs, the said carriages to return on secondary track cable to the receivingpoint ofthe tramway.

Our invention consists of improvements by which thefollowing objects are ained. 1. To provide means for raising the ogs ofi" the ground and suspend them on the track cable. 2. To provide means to lower the 80 logs onto cars or the ground, lor into water.

8. To provide means for transferringthe carriages from one trackcableto the other.

4. To provide means for placing a railway directly below the discharge end of the tramway and parallel with-tire main cable so the logs may be lowered into osition on the cars. 5. 'llo provide means or moving a train of cars for the purpose of'loading the cars consecutively. 6. To provide convenient means for reeling` up the track and traction cables forV the 'convenience of transportation. 7. To provide means for the'convenient transportation 'of the engine andappliances. 8. To provideinexpensive but very effective intermediate supports for the track cables. i

-' Our; invention is-illustrated 'inthe ac#` companying three drawings in whichv'Figure 1 represents the discharge end of the tramway with the 'railwayandv cars-ghelneath it, also the-boiler and engine`.-Fi 1* v shows'a side view of the engine yto pro ulce the motivelv forcel for operating .the systems:

. Figa@ representsithe top iview of the intermediate supporte.` Fig.' 8 :represents a side view ofthe intermediate supports as seen looking lengthwise' with the cable. Fig. 4 represents a section of the tramway as seen from the side, showing only the main track cable and supports with logs traveling by means of carriages on the said cable.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

1 represents the main railway extending longitudinally below the tramway to an errtent to receive the required number of empty ears for a train of logs to be loaded. 3 representsa spur of sulicient length to hold a similar train of empty cars.

l. 4, 5, 6 and 7 represent the cars on the main 8 represents a framework for supporting the engine, which is of the reciprocating type better shown in Fig. 1", in which 10 in icates one of the cylinderswhich by means of a piston, piston rod, cross-head, connecting rod and crank revolves the shaft 13, which has fixed upon ita pinion engag- `ing m a train of gears connected with jdrums 11, 12, 14 and 15 by an independent 'frictlon on each drum 1n a manner cus tomary for logging and hoisting engines,

cause the engine to rotate 16 represents the main track cable,

main cable 16 to hold itin position, and prevent undue slack due to the weight of the ilogs between intermediate supports.

18 represents the secondary track cable .for the return of the empty carriages, while '19 represents the portion of the endless trae- .tion cable on which the engine, through Vmeans of drum 15, is pulling the log toward it, while 20 represents a portion of the same traction cable moving toward the receiving end of" the tramway and propelling the empty carriages onl their return.

34 represents a' -log suspended on the tramway b fthe tongs 35 and the carriage 37 47,1' and |links yrshown -in Fig.l B.

' '.lhe o )eration of this tramway islas tollows: l ith the' log 84V in lposition shown, lthejo'peratord releases-the bra ce on the drum 14,;iwhich permits thc-cable 21 to ay out leavingfthe block 82 with the main cable and secure to the traction cable by the grip Ich ' 16 tolowerunder its. weight and the weight of the log tiil the main cabler assumes the positionjshownQby the dottedline 33, when the log rests in its proper position on the car 5; the,tongs 35 are then released leasedIv from .the traction cable which is at rest.l The hooks 23,.'aie`tlien engaged inthe' carriages 37`andby meansfoffthecable 22 and the drum 12 the carriages are litedfrom the main cable .16 -and placedA on the.

secondary cable.l8. The grips 47 are then connected with 'the traction cable 20,which is started in mot-ion by engaging the drum 15 with the engine, thus carryin the empty carriages to t-lie place where tie logsfare received; here the carriages areftransferred to the main traction cable-16 by a similar means as beforedescribe'd as 23 and 22 but instead of a drum 12 a..winchliead on the logging en ine maybe used. .-At the receiving en( `the main cable may be allowed to lower iny -a manner described as 32, 37, and thedrum 14, in order`- to engage the tongs 35 witha log. The cable 1'6 ma then be raised by the means just describe `until.

the log is lifted free from the ground, when the' grips 47 are engaged with the traction CablelS), which draws itby means of the 4carriages along the main cable 16 to the discharffe end as shown in Fig. 1.

,Wllien thecar 5 is loaded the drum 11 is brought -into motion` and by means of the cable 40 draws the train 'of cars to the left, as shown in the drawing, -until the car 6 isspotted toyreceive the logs.l When all the carsare loaded, and assuming that meantime a locomotive has taken atrain of logs away forunloading and is returning, the

empty train will be run ontol tliesiding- 3,.

the locomotive willy Athen be coupled to the car 4, pulling the loaded train outfand con-` ncctng its rear end with the empty train on siding 8, pullin the two trains out ontothe main line and )aching the empty train on `the main line 1 until the empty car nearest the locomotive is spotted to receive the logs in the manner shown by car 5, when is is uncoupled from the loaded train, leaving the locomotive to proceed to its destination.

.There should be 'a suficientJnumber of carriages that a. number'of logs would be proceeding along the main cable at the same time, but preferably not close enough together so t at two' logs `would come between two lconsecutive intermediate .supports 'at anycnetime.` Thus therewould e -a continuousistrin oflogs proceedin toward thev discharge en ofthe tramwa w ule astring 'of empty.' carriages would L A 4returning lto the lreceivin .Placed f A tion vcable ,Q may be ,einployed fon `returning the empty.' carriages#- required, and si he, grip "4;7 i may beK antiapprved typ'e now in use for such purpose'. The logs may be brought from the foresttothe cable way by one or more loggingen'gines oigany other suitable means, and .the .receiving station may be changed along ,tht line of thetramway to the points where vthe logs canl be most convenieiitly `taken. Curves in the tramway may be successfully effected. i

In Fig. 1- 88 indicates a boiler which maybe located at anyconvenient point to supply steaml for the engine 10 although electricity `or any Aother convenient source of 4powei-inay be employed instead of steam, and it will be seen that when the discharge end of the tramway is niuch lower than w 1ere the logs are received the tendency would be for the logs to produce the motive power for operatiiw the cableway, although vitis recommendeds in any case to be equi i ed'with an engine.

Suita lle reels as shown at 5) may be cmployed and` connected with the engine for the pur )ose of reeling up the track and tractionca les when it is desired to move the -tramway to a new location. While the framework 8 supporting the engine is built sufficiently high to permit the loaded trains to ypass through beneath it, it will be seen that `for .the purpose oftransportation a flat car may :be-placed beneath the engine and the engine frame raised siifiiciently that aftinibenmay be placed across the` car at each end and beneath the lugs .39 on frame 8, thus supporting the engine with its frame on the car, when .itmay be transported to its new location. Other ortions of the tramway may also be loa ed on the cars and transported.. It would also be practicable to build the engine on a car and place it on the siding 2 and provide suitable means for leading the cables. 0r the siding 2 may be located in direct line with the tramway and the main track 1 may be curved to mss the car with `the engine. For taking lo s from the forest directly to the water the engine may be placed on a scow or preferably on two scows connected by suitable timber but leaving room for the logs to float through between them.

The various braces and guides to make the tramwa and its .equipment substantial should e provided'and applied as may be al bells or whistles may be advantageous yiemployed.

In Fig. 3- 27 and 27 show two compression members used in the'intermediate supports of the tramway, while 28 shows a guy cable. lhe plates 81 at the top oi these compression members should ybe connected .by a hingegtting sutiiciently loose to not .onlypermit the, two plates to swing on the yanis of the in but t l p c e pin should be sailiciently smal ytopermit of movements in all directions, so -t-hatthe. two plates may ad- *pien-,sie l just themselves to'the' straight surfaceA at even though saidy tops of the'menibers' 27 surfaces may ynot be inthe same plane. 45 and 45 re resent the eye bolts, rovided with nuts whic are dome shape at t ie lower-side, fitting into sockets in lates 31 in such a manner-that the nuts w51 adjust themselves to a uniformbearing on all sides. 46 represents one of the two wheels of each carringe represented by 37, while 35 represents the upper end oft-lie tongs.

It is obvious that the construction and arrangements of the arts may be variously and considerably a tered within the scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An aerial tramway for transporting logs, having a ftrack cable to support the logs, in combination-with carriages, a tractioncable to regulate the movement of the logs, a track cable on which the em ty carriages return, and supports from w ich the track cable is suspended, and means for raisin and lowering the l 2. n aerial tramwa logs, havin logs, in com ination with carriages, a traction cable toregulate the movement of the logs, a track `'cable on which the empty carriages may return, and supports from which the track cable may be sus ended, and means for raising and lowering t e lo and means for connectin and disconnecting the earriages with t e'traction cable,and means osr transporting for transferring the carriages from one track cable to ythe other.

3. An aerial tramway for transporting logs, havin a track cable to support the logs, in com ination with carriages, a trac tion cable to regulate the movement of the logs, a track cable on which the em ty carriages return, and siports from w ich the track cable is suspen e ,and means for raisa'ftrack'ca le to support the ing andlowerin the logs and means for connecting and isconnecting the carriages with the traction cable, and means for transerri'ng the carriages from one track cable to the other, a motor operating drums, a railway and means to admit cars to 1pass longitudinall beneath the suspended ogs, and means or loading the logs on tothe car, and means for moving the cars.

4. An aerial tramway for transporting logs, having a track cable to support the logs, in combination with carriages, a traction cable to refrulate the movement of tlie logs, a track cable on which empty carriages may return and supports from which the track cable may be suspended and means for transferring the loos from the ground to the track cable an for transferring them from track cable to the ground.

5. In an aerial tramway, the combination of track cables, an endless traction cable, intermediate supports a motor and operatingdrums on portable su ports to permit loaded cars to pass beneath) it, and reels to wind up the track and traction cables for the purpose of transportation.

6. `In an aerial tramway, the combination of track cables, a traction cable, intermediate supports and means for raising and loweringt e material to be transferred at the receiving and discharging stations for the urpose of suspending it on and releasing it rom one of thetrack cables.

7. Inan aerial tramway, means for lowering and raisin the track cable for the 'pur ose of attaching and detachin the logs wit said track cable, and for raising and lowering the logs with said track cable.

CHARLES H. 1V OGEL.

GEORGE R. TATIT.

Witnesses:

G. C. Woonwann, A. E. GAaPiN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for avc centi each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Buteurs. Washington, D. 0." 

